Toolhead retainer



May 24, 1949.,

S. N. ROSENGREN TOOLHEAD RETAINER Filed March 9, 1946 INVEN TOR. SWAN NORMAN ROSENGREN Arm/wa s Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED 1 5 Glaims.

"The tool head retainer of this invention may,

be utilized for retaining on a'handle' anykind of a tool head having a bore through which the handle end projects. "Examples of such tools are hatchets, axes, pickaxes, mattocks, hand hammers of various types, sledge hammersymallets,

grub hoes, adzes, shake-splitting froes, brush hooks, scythes, etc. In some of these tools'the end of the handle which, carries the tool :head tapers toward'the extremityof such end, and in other instances the end portion of'thehandle Within the tool head tapers away; from."the"extremity of such end. My retainer is adapted'to secure in position tool heads on.both types of handle.

simple construction, it acts to'hold'the tool. head in place positively. Despite the efiectiveness of its action, the retainer' may be -manipulated readily to release the tool head for removal from secured to prevent such quick release'operation.

Not only is the retainer itself ofsimpletconstruction, but little special'workds required on the tool handle to accommodate theretainer; and u no change in the structure of -conventionialttool heads is necessary for utilization of the'retain'er.

Because of the wide-variety of tools with which my retainer may -be employed, I have selected only one representative type for illustration in the drawings, namely, -a-pickaxe. It'will'be understood, however, from such illustrations, how the retainer may beapplieclto tools of other types. Certain of the forms of retainer illustrated will be more suitable for one type; of tool than for anto modify even the illustrative forms of iretainer shown in the drawings While utilizing;the:principlesof my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pickaxe head and handle employing a'diiferent type ofretainer.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the,.pickaxe head and handle taken along line Ill-l of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the pickaxe head and handle showing my retainer.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a pickaxe head in section and a portion of the pickaxe handle in elevation, to which a different form of retainer, illustrated partially in section and partially in elevation, is applied. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the retainer shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a portion better: in Figure' 2.

'52 "of a pickaxe head andjhan'dle illustrating still a different formhf retainer.

'"The'essential' characteristic of all of the various forms of tool head retainer shown in the 5 -drawings isfthat one portion of the retainer engages'thehan'dle to prevent movement of the retainerin one direction along the handle, and another portion engages an edge of the tool head "to-prevent its'movement relative to the retainer rinthe'samedirection lengthwise of the handle.

Most of 1' the modifications of the. retainer are generally 'U'-sh aped. "The formation of the legs oftheretainer, the portion. connecting the legs, andfthe-tipsof'the legs varies from one-modifica- 'tion 'to another depending upon the particular While my tool head retainer 'is of extremely -application-of therretainer.

FRGfia'iHEISTfOHOWiIIg the principles of the inyention--may beutilizedforretaining heads on --handles-the 'head receiving portions of which 'taperrawayfrom-*theextremity of the head-rethe handle, unless the retainerhasibeenspecially" ceivingjen'd. Thus in the case of the pickaXe ""ShOWniD. Figure 1; thetoolrhead-receiving portion of thehandle' 3 tapers away from the extremity tilt- 0f":thehandle. Such tapered shape is seen Since the handle-receiving aperturefin' the" head H" is tapered substantially complementa-lly to the taper of the handle, the head cannot ffiy off. The .head can, howeven- Workftoward? the end. of" the handle grasped by the" workman, which is annoying.

andalinear"-legaconnectingportion I 28 passing other, and for some-tools-'-it"may be :desirable" throu'gh the' handle aperture. The tips .of the '-1 egs"- 4-arebenttoform' lugs 4!; which in this instance abut thetedge ofv the'head I-I adjacent to the handleaperture filltand "the handle-anchored 0 portion 20 of the retain'er,"instead of the edge of =suclrhead remote'from'this aperture. In effect, *thereforef-the-legs 4 of the retainer serve as struts, beingstressed-lengthwise in compression, instead -o f-in-tension' asare the legs ofthe retainers described above.

When the type of retainer shown in Figure 2 is employed, again the tool head is placed on the handle in the conventional fashion before the retainer is applied. One leg 4 of theretainer is then inserted through the handle hole 30 and the form lugs 4| which are pointed so that they can 3 be driven somewhat into the wood of the handle in the manner show-n.

The modified type of retainer shown in Figure 3 includes a leg 4 and a linear leg-connecting portion 40 which passes through a hole 30 in the handle. In this instance the tip of the leg is not formed as a lug, but the end of the leg abuts the adjacent edge of the tool head H. To prevent the legs 4 from swinging out of the retaining position shown in solid lines to the broken line position, a binding wire 42 may be wrapped a few times around the handle and its ends twisted together. Such a retainer may have either two legs 4, one at each side of the handle, or only a single leg. In the latter instance the binding wire 42 not only will prevent the leg from swinging or moving away from th handle 3 out of contact with the tool head, but will maintain the handleanchored portion 40 of the retainer engaged in the aperture 39, even though it has no hook or other projection on its end opposite leg 4.

Like the retainer of Figure 3, that shown in Figure 4 incorporates a leg or legs 4 which have no lugs at their tips, such tips merely abutting directly the adjacent edge or" tool head H. In this instance, however, the handle-anchored portion of the retainer is not linear but constitutes a coil. The handle, therefore, does not have an aperture through it, as do the handles of Figures 2 and 3, but is provided with a groove 32 adapted to receive the coil portion of the retainer.

The retainer of Figure 4 may be applied either by wrapping its coil portion 43 around the handle in its groove 32, or by precoiling this portion in the form shown in Figure 5 and then expanding it somewhat to apply it to the handle. When the retainer utilizes a coil portion to anchor it to the handle, such portion will prevent appreciable tilting of legs 4 in any direction, so that it probably will not be necessary to provide a binding wire such as the wire 42 shown in Figure 3, whether the retainer has two legs or only one leg.

The retainer of Figure 6 is precisely the same hat shown in Figures 4 and 5, except that the cf the legs 4 are formed with a special type of lug for engaging the tool head. In this instance in order to hold the tool head tightly upon the handle the retainer does not form simple abutment surfaces, but instead the lugs 44 are in the form of coils disposed with their axes perpendicular to the legs 4. Such lugs are therefore resilient, and continuously exert a pressure against the tool head tending to force it into more firm engagement with the tapered surface of the handle. Except for this resilient feature it will be evident that the retainer of Figure 6 operates much like the retainer of Figure 4, and may be applied to the handle 3 in a similar fashion.

I claim as my invention:

1. A retainer for securing a handle within the aperture of a tool head, comprising a member including a leg portion, and a portion integral with said leg portion, extending transversely thereof,

and in anchoring engagement with the tool handle to prevent movement of said leg portion in one direction lengthwise of the handle, the tip of said leg portion abutting the edge of the tool head adjacent to said transverse portion to prevent movement of the tool head relative to said leg portion lengthwise of the handle in said one direction.

2. A retainer for securing a handle Within the aperture of a tool head, comprising a member including a leg portion extending lengthwise of the handle and exteriorly thereof, and a portion integral with said leg portion, extending transversely thereof, and in anchoring engagement with the tool handle to prevent movement of said leg portion in one direction lengthwise of the handle, the tip of said leg portion abutting the edge of the tool head adjacent to said transverse portion to prevent movement of the tool head relative to said leg portion lengthwise of the handle in said one direction.

3. A retainer for securing a handle within the aperture of a tool head, comprising a member including a pair of leg portions disposed on opposite sides of the handle and extending lengthwise thereof, and a portion integral with said legportion, extending transversely thereof and in anchoring engagement with the tool handle to prevent movement of said leg portions in one direc tion lengthwise of the handle, the tips of said leg portions abutting the edge of the tool head adjacent to said transverse portion to prevent movement of the tool head relative to said leg portions lengthwise of the handle in said one direction.

4. The retainer as defined in claim 3, in which the handle is apertured and the transversely extending portion of the member in anchoring engagement with the handle extends through such aperture.

5. The retainer as defined in claim 3, in which the handle is notched and the transversely extending portion of the member formed integrally with the legportions comprises a coil encircling the handle and received in the notch to provide anchoring engagement of such portion with the tool handle.

SWAN NORMAN ROSENGREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 90,412 Tyndale May 25, 1869 695,651 Russel Mar. 18, 1902 764,283 Ehrenfeld July 5, 1904 1,419,249 Gidmark June 13, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 514,007 Germany Oct. 15, 1929 748,024 France Apr. 10, 1933 

